Zephaniah 1:3

“I will gather human being and livestock; I will gather the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off human beings from upon the face of the ground, declares YHWH.”

Zephaniah 1:3 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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3

Zephaniah 1:3, word by word

I will gatherאָסֵףasef

assemble

To bring people together in one place.

Where else “asef” appears
human beingאָדָםadam

human being

All humankind, men and women, as creatures God formed.

Where else “adam” appears
and livestockבְהֵמָהvehema

beast

Animals in general.

Where else “vehema” appears
the birdsעוֹףof

bird

The animals with wings and feathers that fly through the sky: doves, eagles, ravens.

Where else “of” appears
of the skyשָּׁמַיִםshamayim

sky

The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.

Where else “shamayim” appears
and the fishדְגֵיdege

fish

Fish; fish as a whole.

Where else “dege” appears
of the seaיָּםyam

sea

The sea, or a large lake.

Where else “yam” appears
and the stumbling blocksמַּכְשֵׁלוֹתmachshelot

stumbling block

What makes others fall into evil, or those who fall into it.

Where else “machshelot” appears
the wickedרְשָׁעִיםreshaim

wicked

One who does evil, the opposite of the righteous.

Where else “reshaim” appears
and I will cut offהִכְרַתִּיhichrati

cut off

To wipe out, or be shut out from the people.

Where else “hichrati” appears
the faceפְּנֵיpene

surface

The surface: "the face of the earth".

Where else “pene” appears
of the groundאֲדָמָהadama

land

A territory with its inhabitants, or the whole surface of the world.

Where else “adama” appears
declaresנְאֻםneum

declaration

Solemn words God himself speaks: "oracle of YHWH".

Where else “neum” appears
YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

Translation note

“The stumbling blocks”: what makes people fall; it may refer to the idols.

The context

2“Completely I will gather everything from upon the face of the ground, declares YHWH.

3 · This verse (above)

4And I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal, the name of the pagan priests along with the priests;

Read all of Zephaniah 1

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